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The All Blacks suffered a serious case of the season opening-test rugby yips before beating a gallant Ireland 34-23 at Waikato Stadium tonight.

The Irish went within a whisker of pulling off their first defeat of the All Blacks in 100 years of trying but couldn't hold on under the weight of New Zealand possession and the boot of first five-eighth Luke McAlister.

He finished with 19 points and helped preserve an undefeated record against Ireland which now extends to 19 tests but could easily have ended in front of 30,000 people at Waikato Stadium.